9 Days Climbing Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Machame route in 6 days!

Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, our driver will transfer you to the hotel. Settle in and take time to relax while enjoy African atmosphere. It is possible to book an extra day of rest prior to start of the climb, to give you ample time to acclimatize and recover from the flight. This extra day increases your chances of reaching the summit.

Elevation gain: 1200 m/ 3,937 ft | Distance: 5 km. | Hiking time: 5-6 hours

Our guide will pick you up from the hotel in the morning and take you to Machame Gate, where your ascent begins! Today the route leads you through a beautiful undisturbed tropical rainforest. The climate is humid on this side of the mountain, which is why nature thrives and it is very green. After five to six hours of hiking you will reach Machame Camp on the edge of the forest area with heath zone.

This is your first day at this altitude, so it is recommended that you follow the instructions below from now on:

1. Drink as much water as possible
2. Take a Diamox tablet if you experience symptoms of altitude sickness

Elevation gain: 840 m/ 2,723 ft  | Distance: 5 km. | Hiking time: 4-5 hours

Today you will start with another nice climb that is a little steeper, but quickly rewards you with a stunning view. Keep in mind the increase of altitude and more importantly, walk at the right pace. Our experienced guides will assist you with that. The first part of the hike leads to a small circular cliff known as the picnic rock. Here you can enjoy stunning views of Kibo (a peak of Kilimanjaro) and Shira (one of the other volcanic peaks). From the picnic rock you hike on to Shira Camp via a beautiful route. Here you will have lunch and afterwards you can take an acclimatization walk towards the Lava Tower (to an altitude of 4120 meters and a distance of 2 km).

Note: The acclimatization walk is an easy hike with a slight rise in altitude. This will accelerate the acclimatization process. The acclimatization hikes are very important, as they increase your chances to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro and reduce the chance of altitude sickness.

Elevation gain: 790 m/ 2,592 ft  |Elevation loss: 670 meters/ 2,198 ft| Distance: 11 km | Hiking time: 6-8 hours |

Today’s hike leads from Shira Camp to the beautiful Lava Tower. This part of the climb has many ascents and descents and offers beautiful views along the way. It is a longer hike and you might feel a bit uncomfortable due to the increased altitude. It is therefore important to remain at Lava Tower for one to two hours in order for your body to acclimatize. Therefore lunch will be taken here. After lunch, you descend to Barranco Camp. Here you will encounter strange looking flowering plants that grow up to five meters high! Barranco Camp is located at the foot of the imposing Barranco Wall, which is impressive in both its sheer size and steepness. Fortunately, the path leading to it is not that difficult.

Option: If there are participants who prefer to choose a lower altitude route than that of the Lava Tower, it can be adapted to a route with a maximum height of 4400 meters.

Elevation gain: 680 m/ 2,231 ft  | Distance: 11 km | Hiking time: 8-10 hours

After breakfast you depart Barranco Camp and hike towards Barranco Wall. This route is challenging but enjoyable and for many people their favourite part of the climb due to the stunning views. Once you reach the top of the Barranco wall, you have a spectacular view of the Kibo volcano to your left and to the right of the distant Mount Meru. Now a more difficult hike starts towards Karanga Camp, this route has many ascents and descents, but our guides are experts in choosing the right route and the pace for you. Barafu Camp is the last camp before the summit, where you will be served a hot meal. Make sure to take the time to relax and sleep, because around midnight you start your final ascent to the summit

Elevation gain: 1255 m/ 4,117 ft  |Elevation loss: 2075 m/ 6,807 feet| Distance: 15 km | Hiking time: 8-12 hours

Tonight you depart from Barafu Camp to ascent to the top of Kilimanjaro (Uhuru Peak)! The climb leads over good trails, the most challenging part is the high altitude. There is 1 personal guide per 2 climbers in order to closely monitor the climbers’ physically and mentally wellbeing.

Once you reach the summit you can enjoy a beautiful sunrise, which is quite impressive at this height! After a small party at the top, you can descend to the nearest glacier if you wish. You return to Barafu Camp and start the descent to Millennium Camp after two hours of rest. When descending pay close attention to where you step in order to prevent an injury.

Elevation loss: 2170 m/ 7,119 ft  | Distance: 12 km | Hiking time: 4-5

The Millenium camp is located in a tropical rainforest. When you wake up, you will experience a pleasant feeling due to the reduction in altitude and the satisfaction of reaching the summit. After breakfast you go to the park exit. After the descent the whole group comes together to congratulate each other and then transfer to your hotel.

Today you can relax at the lodge or explore the surrounding area. You can choose to extend your journey with a beautiful Tanzania Safaris. Another option is to relax on the tropical Zanzibar Island or one of the other exotic beach destinations Pemba Island and Mafia Island. If you choose to go home after your Kilimanjaro trek, you will fly back home on day 9.